‘Rust’ Set Had Two ‘Negligent Discharges’ Before Fatal Shooting, New Police Report Reveals

Twice, in the week before Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the “Rust” movie set, guns had been accidentally fired. The voluminous 551-page final police report includes details of the unintentional firearm discharges involving the armorer.

Dolly grip, Ross Addiego, was reportedly present when Alec Baldwin fatally shot Hutchins and allegedly heard armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed say the prop gun was clear. Addiego claims there were issues with Gutierrez-Reed the previous week that involved “negligent discharges,” according to a Deadline report.

The first incident reportedly occurred while the armorer was preparing one of six guns: one of the revolvers allegedly went off, shooting near her foot. A few minutes later at the cabin set, a gun discharge was not announced, which would have been Assistant Director Dave Halls’ responsibility to announce, Addiego said.

A key grip, Reese Price, was eight feet behind Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza in the church. Souza was shot in the shoulder by Baldwin. Price said the prior production issues of an “accidental discharge” occurred “twice last week in one day.”

“One of the accidental discharges occurred by ‘armorer girl’ who was messing with a gun,” Price continued, according to the police report. “The ‘armorer girl’ had the gun pointed down, when it went off accidentally. The second time, one of the stunt actors went to cock the gun and it went off accidentally inside a shack.”

Investigators reported that Price expressed being upset that the production did not house workers who lived an hour from the set. He noted he worked 14-hour days and was concerned about someone crashing their vehicle while driving home after such long hours. He added the production company cut corners to complete the movie.

His statement about cost-cutting was corroborated by key rigging grip, John Ziello. According to the police report, he told investigators “protocols were not followed during the entire film.” He claimed the production cut every corner they could, according to police.

Prosecutors are weighing criminal charges against those involved, including Baldwin, according to a New York Post report. The report noted New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator ruled the shootings an accident.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the decision about potential criminal charges would be left to prosecutors, the report noted.

Baldwin, meanwhile, has filed suit against the “Rust” armorer and first assistant director, according to a New York Times report. The actor accused them of negligence for giving him a loaded gun on the set that fired, killing Hutchins.